Photograph: Hannah McCarthyConsuela Tenela's apartment in Cerro, Havana. Photograph: Hannah McCarthyAlmost 40 per cent of retirees in Cuba live on a similar pension to Tenela. Photograph: Hannah McCarthyThousands of Cubans, particularly elderly residents, live in buildings on the verge of collapse in old Havana. Photograph: Hannah McCarthyMany Cubans have begun to resent the growing inequality and visible deprivation, as citizens are divided into those with and without access to foreign currency. Photograph: Hannah McCarthyBut the fuel crisis is threatening the bubble Soto has created in her Havana neighbourhood.

Source: The Irish Times March 18, 2026 07:03 UTC